British woman in hospital in Brazil `after being shot while looking for water´

A British tourist is being treated in hospital in Brazil after she was reportedly shot while her family were looking for water.

Eloise Dixon and her family were travelling in Angra dos Reis, a popular coastal holiday destination about 90 miles from Rio de Janeiro, on Sunday when they strayed into a rough neighbourhood, according to local reports.

They said a bullet missed all of her major vessels and organs and she is recovering well.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are assisting the family of a British woman who has been hospitalised in Angra dos Reis, Brazil. Our staff remain in contact with the local authorities.”

It is believed that a language mix-up saw the family, which also included Ms Dixon’s partner and their three children, directed to the Agua Santa neighbourhood, which translates to Holy Water, local press said.

Authorities said a group approached the car at a favela and apparently told the family to get out and then opened fire.

A police statement said the woman was hit in the abdomen and was being treated in hospital.